These Tamils were working as baggage handlers, security agents, drivers, cleaners and clerks in Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. Each of them was called separately for a high level investigation by a special team of policemen, after withdrawing their airport identity badges. Jacques Lebrot, the deputy prefect in charge of the airport, said security badges were withdrawn because the staffs were suspected of "linked to fundamentalist movements with potentially terrorist aims."

Paris, 07 November@ Asiantribune.com / Tue, 2006-11-07 06:49

French police are investigating nearly 40 Sri Lankan Tamils who are working in Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, after withdrawing their airport identity badges. These Tamils were working as baggage handlers, security agents, drivers, cleaners and clerks in the airport.

According to a reliable report, this was completely a new investigation launched mainly against these 40 odd Sri Lanka Tamils working in the airport. Each of them was called separately for a high level investigation by a special team of policemen.

At the investigation, before withdrawing their airport identity badges, Police has shown each of them photographs taken while the particular individual was participating in rallies and demonstration conducted by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, a Sri Lanka’s Tamil separatist outfit banned in France and also a rough timeline of each of their involvements in the banned organization.

French police are presently involved in an investigation on the possible links to terrorism of those working at the Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris.

So far a total of 200 cases have been investigated since May, with 57,000 airport passes having been issued since January 2006.

Earlier in May, identity badges, also said to be the security passes were withdrawn from 72 airport workers, out of this ten were Sri Lankan Tamils, while the majority of them were Muslims and suspended from their work.

Jacques Lebrot, the deputy prefect in charge of the airport, said security badges were withdrawn because the staffs were suspected of "linked to fundamentalist movements with potentially terrorist aims."

In the recent ongoing investigation launched against the forty Sri Lankan Tamils, it was revealed that the police have ordered them to produce their bank account statements and their passports.

According to one of those who was summoned for investigation, who wishes to remain anonymous told "Asian Tribune," that Police has ordered him to produce his bank account statements to verify whether money is being paid to LTTE on a regular basis through his bank account? To ascertain to whose account these payments were made? And also to ascertain whether in anyway the account holder was involved in money laundering activities for and behalf of the LTTE?

He further added that passports were asked to be produce to ascertain the number of journeys made to Sri Lanka, the period of stay in Sri Lanka and to ascertain whether any of them received any arms training from the LTTE during their stay Sri Lanka.